Three weeks ago, Ryan and I took our first solo vacation to Savannah, GA. It was both nerve-wracking and beautiful. I booked the trip at the end of spring semester last year so we were all set to go when January came around. We took the Greyhound bus all the way down, which was not a pleasant experience. Our spirits rose the moment we arrived though!

We arrived around 9:00am after a 26-hour bus ride, so the first thing we did was grab some real food. On the way, we kept getting distracted by all the beautiful scenery. Our cafe of choice was called "Goose Feathers Cafe" and they had a delightful and affordable menu. My favorite food from the entire trip is the savory feta and spinach croissant pictured below. So good!

We had a lot of time to explore before we were able to check into our bed and breakfast. One interesting feature were signs warning people of the "historic steps" all around the river walk, which was our next destination.

We explored the many shops along the water, read about the statues, and watched some boats come in. One of the candy stores was offering praline samples and they were fantastic!

One element I enjoyed about the Historic District was the dozen or so parks placed throughout the area. We had a map of the district and made it a goal to see each square before we left.

Another awesome feature was that there was a coffee shop on almost every street corner! It was heaven, and all the ones we went to had charming atmospheres. I ordered the signature horchata latte from The Coffee Fox and it was so good. They sold cute travel mugs, but since we were limited to what we could fit in our backpacks, I held off until getting home to order one.

Another cool find was the Savannah Bee Company. This store sells different flavored honey and wax products from responsibly sourced hives across the country. I learned that honey takes on its different flavors depending on what flowers the bees pollinate!

Mid-afternoon we went on a daytime ghost tour. A lot of people find tours like this cheesy, but I love hearing the history behind old buildings and the families that lived in them.

We finally checked in at 3:00pm. We stayed in the Egyptian room at the Savannah Bed and Breakfast. We had to do some sink laundry because I discovered I only packed one pair of socks...oops! After 26 hours on a bus and carrying our luggage around the better half of the day, it was so great to have a shower and lay down for awhile.

When evening came around, we went to the Georgia Tasting Room to sample some wine. This was my first time doing a wine tasting, but I think we got a good deal! We each got to sample 6 types of wine for $3. We took home a bottle of Savannah Sauvignon Blanc, which is brewed only in Savannah and sold only to the tasting room.

Then we found a Mexican restaurant that was having a $2 taco night, just like Belair in Milwaukee! I don't remember the restaurant name or where it was located in the city; it took me a couple days to even remember what we did that night since I didn't take pictures to commemorate the experience! We spent the rest of the evening exploring before heading back to the B&B and falling asleep at 9:00pm (with the lights on- we were zonked).

The entire trip was wonderful, but I always think the first day in a new area is the most fresh and exciting! I was super stressed out during the traveling part because we had a lot of delays and uncertainties during our bus transfers, but once we got to the city they all melted away. I also learned a lot, this being my first solo trip not planned by my experienced parents. Here are three tips I'm going to remember for the next time I travel:

1. Don't take the bus. We took the bus because it was half the price of flying, but the long time duration and the stress from delays and rerouting wasn't worth the money saved. I felt stressed almost the entire ride about if we'd make our next transfer on time. It's also a pain to try and sleep on a packed bus. Next vacation, we'll be flying.

2. Arrive close to your check-in time. I planned for us to arrive early and leave late so we could maximize our time in the city without paying for an extra night at the B&B. What I didn't think about was how tiring it would be to carry luggage around all that extra time. We both fit everything we needed into our backpacks, but they were heavy after a couple hours and we kept taking breaks to set them down and give our shoulders a rest. Next time, I'll plan for us to arrive closer to our check-in time so we can drop our stuff off and then explore.

3. Always pack a wine bottle opener. This is for wine drinkers. We were so happy with our wine purchase until we wanted to drink it and realized we didn't have a wine bottle opener. Not wanting to buy one, we opened it by other, messier means. I'm going to invest in a small, portable opener for the next time we travel to avoid this caveat.